HOW SOME PEOPLE'S FORTUNES ARE MADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2359, 11 May 1899, Page 61

HOW SOME PEOPLE'S FORTUNES ARE MADE.

Drink is the cause of these communities — but how is it to be wondered at? The gin palaces flourish in the slums, and fortunes are made out of men and- women who seldom know where to-morrow's meal is coming from. Can you wonder chat the gaudy gin palaces, with their light and glitter, are crowded? Drink -is sustenance to these people ; drink gives them the Dutch courage necessary to go on living ; drink dulls their .senses, and reduces them to the level of tl-e brutes they must be to live in such styes. The q'm palace is heaven to them compared to the h of their pestilent .homes. A copper or two, often obtained by pawning the last rag that covers the shivering children on the baie floor at home, will buy, enough vitriol madness to send a woman home so besotted that the wretchedness, the anguish, the degradation that await tliere have lost their grip. To be drunk, with these people, means to be happy. Sober — Gold help them ! — How could they be aught but wretched? — George R. Sims.

PROHIBITION IN THE NAVY,

Point is given to the orders of the British Admiralty that- when a battle is in prospect no intoxicants are to be used by officers or men by the Spanish experience in the fight outside Santiago Harbour. Before emerging from their protection the Spaniards " filled up with cognac." As^a result, they were so incapable that only one man was killed on the American side. When one of their ships surrendered, the sailors were so drunk t'<at they had to be hoisted on to the conquering vo&sel in slings. These things aie stated in the Argus report.

TALL— YES, VERY TALL— TALK!

At a recent "'trade" meeting at Cardiff, in Wales, the speech of the evening contained some remarkable statements. "At the present time," said the speaker, " the drink trade was doing more for genuine morality in tlii.s country than any- other trade he knew." This gentleman's evidence should be sought by our Inebriate Board. It should be more valuable than even Mr Deepran'.«. What good meu aud true the Welsh drink-sell ei a muot be.

Another passage from the _ same speech reads : " The licensed victuallers should stand forward, not only to defend their own interests, but to let the public know that they claftned to be a great civilising and humanising agency in this present age.'' Could there pos3ibly be a greater perversion of the truth? Let the "humanising" and "civilising " illustrations of the effects of drink presented daily- in our courts of justice*>»nswer. ' Let the tears x>f * the widow, and orphan who have become such through this " civilising agency " answer. Let the sad wail of agony sent up from hearts broken by these " humanising " agents answer. Let the overwhelming testimony of doctors, judges, statesmen, clergymen, missionaries, and philanthropists answer. The chairman of the meeting was evidently impressed, for he presented anothei version of the preposterous talk by saying: "The public evidently did not know what efforts were made by tha trade for the betterment of the human race. No class of tradesmen wished to improve their follow creatures more

than the licensed victuallers." Surely both^ speaker and chairman must imagine that the credulity of humanity is unlimited, and that powers of observation amongst men and women are entirely dead ; or shall we conclude that speakers and hearers at this trade gathering had been partaking of commodities in which they deal, until the inevitable results followed, and their usual keen perceptions were dulled and their reasoning powers consequently were at fault.